We are about to begin one of the most exciting endeavors our church has ever undertaken. It is called My Opportunity for Giving, and it provides a great opportunity for all of us to look deeply into ourselves, to understand God's goodness to us in so many ways, and in turn, to return to God a portion of whom we are.
Our endeavor begins with a dinner on August 3rd, 2008, which is the church's way of first saying “thank you” for all you have done in the past. This donated dinner will be hosted by our outstanding Fellowship Committee. There will also be a young person's meal (with an inspirational video), and childcare for the younger children. This will be great evening to celebrate who we are and what we have done, and to look bravely and with faith to our future together.
A step towards our future requires a look at our past, so with this letter you are receiving a short survey, “Listening To You”. By completing this survey together we will know what we are doing well, what we need to do better and what new areas for ministry, worship, and evangelism we should be exploring. After all, Holy Spirit is your church. Our vision, mission, health, vigor and impact on the world around us depend on you.
After compiling the surveys, the exciting focus of My Opportunity for Giving will take place over a period of three weeks. In the first week we will look at Time - how we use it and how we might set quality time aside for God, our inner selves, our families or friends, and others in need.
During the second week, we will look at the unique Talents God has given to each of us, some of which we may know and some of which are still a secret—even to ourselves. We will explore how we might use those talents for good—for the good of this church, this community, our world.
The Time and Talent forms are enclosed so that you and your family might consider the many precious gifts received from God, and how you might return some portion of these gifts to God over the next year. Your completed forms will be offered to God during our 9:00am Sunday worship collection of August 10th (Time) and August 17th (Talent).
In the third week, we will look at how we have been blessed materially—and will consider what part of our Treasure we want, in gratitude, to return to God in order to support the work of this great church.
All of these considerations—how to allot time, talent, and treasure—will be illuminated through an amazing and life-enhancing approach: “Intentional Stewardship”. You will learn more about Intentional Stewardship as we go through this three week endeavor together.
As a congregation, we will all find My Opportunity for Giving a very useful way to take stock of ourselves. Every so often, it is necessary to stop and take a fresh look at how we are living our lives. This is a chance to grow closer to God and to allow the Holy Spirit to enliven and refocus our lives.
My Opportunity for Giving is a holy mission. It is based in Scripture, the words and life of Jesus Christ and it is at the very center of our religious tradition, namely that:
• God has blessed each of us, abundantly.
• Out of gratitude we want to return a portion of what we have received.
• In order to bring Christ's presence into as many lives as we are able, we as individual members of this faith community need to dedicate a portion of the time, talents, and treasure we have been so blessed to receive.
• As disciples, we want to experience a life of generosity and to lead others to living in Christ’s example.
Not only is this a religious mandate, but a response to what is deep within our human hearts as well. We are at our best when our hearts are open in generosity. We feel better, our lives go better, and we walk in the world with more ease, knowing that we are sharing a generous portion of that which we have been given, generously, by God.
So for now, set aside August 3rd, 2008 for our church appreciation dinner. Please fill out “Listening to You” and either bring the form that night or drop it in the boxes you will see at the back of the church.
Let us begin our endeavor, humbly yet confidently, with a simple prayer:
Lord God, we realize that this very moment is an opportunity, a channel of your grace, an invitation. So, enter into this room, enter into our lives in a new and powerful way. Out of your goodness and bounty, You have blessed us with so many gifts. Just the next breath that we take is a reminder of our utter dependence on You. You generously sent your own Son to earth to show us the way to live. Now, help us open our hearts to you in that same spirit of generosity. Through conscious, intentional stewardship of our time, our talents and our treasure, help us to live as you have lived, love as you have loved, and share as you have shared. We pray with the surety that you will show us what it is we are to do with the many gifts you have given us. Let us use them in proclaiming your way within our church, our community, and our world. We pray these words in confidence and in your loving presence. Amen.
